I'm just back from yet another business trip. I haven't been idle, but I feel like I have nothing to show for all my work since I have 4
nearly finished projects rather than any one completed thing. And I'm in a complete disarray as far as what to do next. Here's a quick tour of my frustrations.
First, I am nearly done with
my skirt. Really, I'm just a shrinking number of fell stitches away from finished. Oh, and if you are not familiar with the fell stitch,
here's a Threads tutorial on it. In the past, I've used a slip (or blind) stitch for hand sewing the lining to the zipper tape. But I decided that it was time for me to up my game and use what the couture pros do. I think there's more fell stitching in my future. So, no time like the present to work on my technique.
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| Still. Not. Done. Grumble. Grumble. |
The other three projects are all knit gifts.
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| 1+1/2 Tardis socks. Garrrrr! |
First, knee high TARDIS victory socks for my sister Erato who ran the New York City Marathon on Sunday - her first marathon! Definitely a sock-worthy event, if only my knitting was as fast as her running!
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| 85% of CrissCross Applesauce Baby Blanket. Aaarg! |
Next, I'm knitting a baby blanket for dear friends who just had their first child. And to go with the blanket, I'm almost finished with a mama duck and some ducklings.
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| Duck parts. Bah! |
Seriously, the ducks are all knit, I just have to sew the wings, feet and beaks on and give this little flock some faces.
Anyway, I'm irritated and distracted because I don't know which I want to work on first. So, I've been skipping back and forth without finishing any of them and annoying myself in the process. I think part of my problem is that I don't really know what I want to sew or knit next, so I'm kind of stalling for time. I'm buried under an avalanche of ideas (really awesome good ones!) and my first free (non-working) weekend in three weeks is rapidly approaching and I'm finding myself sort of paralyzed. Also, I'm exhausted from travel and haven't really settled back into life at home yet.
Do you ever get in a rut like this? How do you snap yourself out of it. I'm thinking that I should finish the ducklings and skirt this weekend and that my next sewing project after the skirt is done should be easy or quick, to get me back into my groove. What do you think?
22 comments:
I tend to either figure out what can be finished most quickly, or start something totally new and take it to completion before going back to the pile of things that have been staring at me.
YES! This is exactly my problem at the moment! I have a massive list of projects that just need an hour or so on them to complete/fix them, (and a knitting project AND a crochet project!) and they're cluttering up my sewing room and making me feel stressed, because I just want to work on something new!
I've made a pact with myself that I CANNOT start sewing anything new until I get rid of each of my nearly completed sewing projects, and the same with knitting and crochet. As my next sewing project has a very definite deadline (pattern testing the brasilia dress), I DEFINITELY have to get them all finished, even if I'm not really feeling it!
I'm hoping that once I've got all these projects done and in circulation (and off the sewing room floor!) I'll start feeling a bit more inspired, just because I won't feel so cluttered and stressed!
I really love the look of that baby blanket! Seriously cute!
You make adorable animals and that baby blanket is the prettiest I've ever seen!!! Your "dear friends" already had their baby...babies grow fast, so I think those should be a priority.
I do know how you feel, I've been there for almost a year...so many unfinished sewing projects and lots of ideas for new ones. It definitely is paralyzing and not a good place to be. Almost a year ago I bought a new Baby Lock Enlighten serger. I had not even plugged it in until last week when I rearranged my sewing room. My UFO'S were out of sight/out of mind in a large tote. They are now laid out on the spare bed. At 2:00 this afternoon I'm turning on the radio and starting my 3 day sewing marathon. YAY!!!
Oooo! Ducklings! I love ducks!!! And fell stitches. Gotta love their strength and invisibility and they do go quickly, too!
SO much knitting! I think those ducks should get done first, they look close to the finish. Someday I'd like to meet up and do a little stitch 'n bitch with you!
Congrats to your sister-- what an accomplishment! I also hate having multiple projects going. Somehow it leaves me unmotivated, even though it would only take a little while to finish everything up! I have a buttondown missing cuffs, buttonholes, and a hem, a woven top missing binding and a hem, and a knit project that's done but needs to be blocked, and I'm struggling to motivate to do anything on any of the projects because I just want to do something new! Silly, I know.
Sidenote: your hand stitching looks beautiful! I'm so excited to see your skirt!
I know! LOL Seriously, I missed both the baby deadline and the marathon deadline - I am incapable of knitting or sewing for a deadline.
Good for you for doing a marathon to finish the UFO's! I think I may dedicate tomorrow to finishing/mending and a little bit of organizing/tidying the Craft Lounge. That way I can move forward with sewing with a clear head.
Glad I'm not the only one! I went on a crazy start-a-million-knitting-projects binge this summer.
Oooh - I'm eager to see some Brazilia dresses!
Is it me or is hemming some kind of crazy should-be -easy but is always a pitfall kind of ordeal? The number of times I've said "all I have to do is hem it" and then took forever finishing is unreal.
Actually, that's what I think I'm going to do too - finish up and mend this weekend. And then start with a clean Craft Lounge and fresh perspective next week.
Am also in the doldrums ... I think it is a seasonal affect thing. At least, that's what I'm telling myself. Have recently steeled myself to go through my stash and THROW AWAY the scraps I've been hoarding that are too small/stained/ancient and actually rotting to do anything with -- and do something with the ones worth saving. Just call me "Patches" as I now own at least seven blouses in which no piece is the same as any other piece; friends tell me that I don't really look like a walking pile of quilt blocks, but I don't know if they are just humoring me. Have also unearthed and forced myself to sew up garments that I cut out over 15 years ago (back in style! Yay!) and garments that other people cut out over 15 years ago and passed along to me. Good practice at some old techniques -- and local thrift shops will surely throw away the finished garments for me if they don't think the merchandise will sell, right?
OMG - 15 years has got to be some kind of UFO record! Lin, you are too funny! But I see how my scrap bin is nearly full... hmmm...
Oh that tardis socks are genius. I'm in a rut too, the sew along posts took a lot of my time and now I have 3 Ufos that are killing my sewjo. Maybe a week off is what I need than a few new projects than came back to it later.
I feel the exact same way! I'm switching between two projects that are taking longer than they should, and on top of that I have some non-sewing projects that are also distracting me. Winter clothing is something I really need so I want to try and get moving before I wake up and it's spring. I agree that traveling throws off sewing mojo (I'm still trying to get back on my feet after a trip to France earlier last month).
I like your idea for this weekend and think you could should go for it! In fact, I'm going to use your post as motivation to finish my skirt and top this weekend, too. We can do this!
You definitely need a quick project to clear the palate! Knits are good for me when I am in that state.
Yeah, that's kind of what I'm thinking.
Really, it takes me several days to rebound - if there's jet lag involved, I can kiss Craft Lounge productivity good bye for a week. I'm about to head to the Craft Lounge and picturing you at your SM too! We CAN do it!
OMG! And you've been SO productive with the sew along and your (AWESOME) Brasilia dress!
Wow - you are so close... I say don't stress it. You'll finish when you feel like it. I HATE leaving things in process and I've not completed a sweater I spent a hundred hours on and I'll I've got to do is seam it up, make the buttonholes (machine) and sew on the stabilizing ribbon. It's been months now and I've decided not to care. It'll be there when I'm ready. I'd start with the duckies cuz they're so fun.
It's those last finishing details that are the hardest to complete! I'm finished with the actual knitting of the ducklings; it's the sewing together that seems insurmountable. Gah!
So may knitting gifts! The Tardis socks are gorgeous!
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